Lauren Adams: American Catastrophe Report (Updated 1/29/15)

Artist Lauren Frances Adams has created American Catastrophe Report, an installation that acts as both homage and critique of the decorative frescoes in the United States Capitol Building, originally painted in the 19th c. by Italian-born artist Constantino Brumidi. The site-specific artwork by Adams is installed in American University's Katzen Arts Center, in both the upper and lower rotunda in the center of the building, less than six miles from where Brumidi's paintings are located. The prints forming American Catastrophe Report have the appearance of paintings due to the unique process Adams uses, where hand-painted originals are digitally scanned then printed for long-term public display. Adams updates Brumidi's Capitol ornamentation by directly addressing ecological disasters in America that have been caused by human activities.